Very simply, foreign direct investment (or FDI) is an investment made by a company or an individual in a foreign country. Such investments can take the form of establishing a business in Sri Lanka, building a new facility, reinvesting profits earned from Sri Lanka operations or intra-company loans to subsidiaries in Sri Lanka.

The hope is that these investment inflows will bring good jobs and higher wages for Sri Lankan workers, increase productivity, and make the economy more competitive.

FDI can enable the introduction of new technologies and innovative ways of production and service provision, which can then be replicated by local firms increasing their productivity and competitiveness and plugging them into domestic and global value chains.

Particularly useful could be establishing innovation partnerships between firms in developing countries who have much in common and can easily transfer production and managerial strategies that are relevant to their country context.

5. New investments can help with government revenue and foreign exchange reserves

FDI also helps governments boost tax revenues, providing the space for reduced borrowing — Sri Lanka’s borrowing is high — or for further budget spending on social benefits such as health and education. Since FDI comes in foreign-denominated currency, it is always useful in a country with external borrowing.

Good read, however on the ground. It's quite Abit of task to develop lands around the country or at least in the suburbs around Colombo. If these lands are develop with proper draniage systems and other facilities we could market these or be potential for any local or foreign investors. The government should also launch a initiative to make things easy to develop lands around. The only people who are earning are the local government officials.